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Thursday, July 07, 2011

Despite the Lockout, There's Atlanta Hawks News You Can Use

So said Besiktas coach Ergin Ataman to Howard Beck or Pete Thamel of The New York Times.

I did not know that Pachulia holds a Turkish passport. That makes signing him easier for Besiktas and, thus, more plausible. I remain skeptical both that FIBA considers it in their best interest for players under contract to NBA teams spend the lockout playing for European professional teams and that NBA players are more interested, right now, in playing for European professional teams than they are in putting pressure on NBA owners.

It's my opinion that every second-round pick and rookie free agent would be best served to have a plan to play basketball in the event that games are missed during the 2011-12 NBA season. Not just to aid their development, but to take advantage of the uniquely increase in attention they might receive in the NBA's absence.

As to how this affects the Hawks in particular, David Lighty will or will not be just as viable a rotation prospect in the Summer of 2012 as he is now and it's difficult to imagine a future CBA wherein the Hawks have fewer open roster spots next summer than they have right now.

My favorite* 2010-11 D-League team, the Reno Bighorns, will replace the defunct Utah Flash as Atlanta's 2011-12 D-League affiliate. With more teams acquiring their own D-League teams, the Hawks will have to share Reno with both the Memphis Grizzlies and the Sacramento Kings, should the Hawks choose to make use of the D-League for a second consecutive season.